Bird lover Chen Hanzhong photographed a painted stork in Bohe town on March 12, marking the first time that the endangered bird has been seen in Maoming, Guangdong province.

After photographing the special bird, Chen looked at the photo and saw that the bird had a white head, an orange-yellow beak, as well as a very long beak and legs. Intrigued, he searched the internet for more information and sent the pictures to his friends, where eventually it was determined that it was a painted stork.

This species of stork stands 93 to 102 centimeters tall and weighs between 2 to 3.5 kilograms. Painted storks are the only storks within the genus Mycteria that has a black pectoral band. This species has a long, heavy yellow bill and a yellow face. They display white plumage with a rose color near the tail feathers.

After the 1950s, there was no record of painted storks in China, and it was presumed that they were extinct in the country. However, they were discovered again in Guizhou in 2008. In early June of that year, scientists discovered 13 painted storks in Guizhou. There are still about 5,000 painted storks in South Asia countries, such as India.

As a rare species, painted storks are written in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and are a national key first-class protected wild animal in China.

In recent years, the world's endangered birds have frequently appeared in Maoming. In April last year, a bird watcher spotted a Chinese egret on the beach of Bohe town. The black-faced spoonbill, a national key first-class protected wild animal, has been seen in Maoming for many years.

In recent years, the number of rare and endangered wild species in Maoming has increased significantly, which is mainly due to the city's vigorous implementation of green development concepts and comprehensive strengthening of wetland resource protection. As a result, the city's ecological environment continues to get better and better.

The painted stork. [Photo/WeChat account: maofabu]